Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Exhibition Update: Works in Progress...

About artefacts and new assimilations 

To date there has been really exciting progress relating to the production, planning and directing of the After Math exhibition.

The sculpture production, in the last 1.5 to 2 months, have resulted in 3 sculptural installations nearing completion! These were produced from sheet metal (2mm to 3mm) in various aluminium alloys - ranging from the 1200 grades up to 5000 grades. I am fortunate to have encountered the amazing properties of these alloys. One such quality is this metal's marvelous malleability. Once annealed (meaning softened by heating), aluminium is buttery soft and offers little resistance to the fold forming and raising techniques I have employed.

To the left is a sneak preview of a work titled 'Potret'; the Afrikaans word for portrait. In this image the components for the installation is stacked on top of each other. However, the work measures more than one square meter when laid out flat. These canvas type tablets will form the foundations (blank canvases) for an abstract composite family portrait. It will be installed into the space as a wall piece. At the moment it is more than three quarters of the way complete. I will reveal more on the meaning and significance of this work during my scheduled walk-abouts of the show. The dates for these will be published on the blog and other media soon: so watch this space.

The production of the video work (in collaboration with Mocke) will commence during my Uni vacation starting in about a week and half. My lips are sealed on the concepts for these, for now. (Wink wink)

The intense but highly productive brainstorming sessions for the performance (in collaboration with Thami) is finally beginning to unfurl and amalgamate. I am anxiously awaiting our first creative production session at the venue this Friday.

As far as planning goes:  much of the logistics for the show seems to be in place, though many hours of work still lies ahead.   An exciting development here is that the Apartheid Museum, in collaboration with the After Math project and relevant UJ staff, will be hosting a public seminar that is intimately related to the concept of the exhibition. I will reveal more here in the very near future...as I said: WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

Please feel free to comment or to ask any questions.
Greetings.

Thursday, June 7, 2012


Socio-Political Art? Again?? 

Our recent art controversy violently coaxed very necessary evidence from our nation: South Africans are a traumatized and repressed nation. It goes without saying.  In the light of these events, I continue to call for and encourage engaging art and/or social interventions. There is a definite need to evoke more productive discussion and dialogue around the topic of contemporary socio and psycho political issues in South Africa.